Comparison of Vaccum Assisted Closure Therapy with Vaseline Gauze Dressing in Healing of Diabetic Foot Ulcers

Abstract

Background: Delayed wound healing in diabetic patients prolong morbidity and may ultimately end up in loss of part or whole of the foot. Vaseline Gauze dressing is in common practice but Vaccum-assisted closure (VAC) therapy is not in routine use in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers and different studies have shown conflicting results.
Objective: To compare efficacy of VAC therapy with Vaseline Gauze dressing in healing of diabetic foot ulcers.
Material & Methods: Sixty type 02 diabetic patients with Grade 1 and Grade 2 diabetic foot ulcer was selected and randomized into Group A ( Vaseline Gauze Dressing ) and Group B (VAC therapy) with 30 patients in each group. The quantitative variables are Age, Area of Wound at baseline at time of presentation (1st week) and after 8 week time and depth of wound were measured. Qualitative variables are Gender, Efficacy, grade of Ulcer were measured. Percentage of Healing between these two groups was analyzed to compare the difference.
Results: The mean age of Diabetic foot ulcer was 50.8 years, the proportion of male & female was 58% and 42% respectively, while the proportion of Grade 1 and Grade 2 was 45% and 55% respectively, in Group A 46% patients have > 50% decrease in wound size and 54% has <50%. In Group B 87% patients have > 50% decrease in wound size and 13% patients have <50 % decrease. P value is 0.001 for efficacy of both groups.
Conclusion: VAC is better in efficacy in the treatment of Diabetic Foot Ulcer (DFU) as there is more rapid healing in the patients
who were treated with VAC therapy as compared to patients treated with Vaseline gauze dressing. Thus VAC is a good alternative to the Vaseline gauze dressing.